ILMINSTER NEWS: Shudrick Valley campaigners keep fingers-crossed

CAMPAIGNERS hoping to save a little piece of Ilminster from being turned into a building site are hoping that they will finally win their battle.

An eight-day public inquiry came to an end last week and now members of the Save Shudrick Valley Group are keeping their fingers-crossed that the Planning Inspectorate will dismiss a bid by developers C. G. Fry & Son and Dillington Estate to build 220 homes on the picturesque site on the edge of Ilminster.

It comes after South Somerset District Council rejected the proposals last May, but that decision was quickly followed by the applicants lodging an appeal with the Government-backed Planning Inspectorate.

Now after eight days of discussion from those in favour and those against the proposals – the waiting begins for a decision to be announced, which could take up to two months.

But the SSVG campaigners are hopeful that they will emerge victorious.

“We are very hopeful of the appeal being dismissed,” said a spokesman for the SSVG. “If it is upheld, it could have a major impact not only on Ilminster but the rest of the South Somerset District Council area.

“The main issue the inspector has to decide is over the housing policies in the Local Plan which are considered out of date because SSDC does not have a five year housing land supply.

“If the Inspector finds that the policy relating to the Direction of Growth is a housing policy and so is out of date, then there could be planning challenges throughout the district. It could provide open house for any developer to put in speculative planning applications to build on the best greenfield sites that we currently savour so much.

That is what could happen with Ilminster.”

The SSVG has said that if the appeal is upheld, Ilminster will in effect have 220 homes it does not need because it has a direction of growth at Canal Way. But it will help fulfil the need for homes for towns like Yeovil and Chard, for instance, where building in the Local Plan period is already lagging behind.

“That is not the case in Ilminster - the town is already 53 per cent towards its minimum target in the Local Plan period and there are still 11 years to run,” continued the SSVG spokesman.

“Ilminster picking up the tab for other towns which have not fulfilled their housing requirement could have a major effect on the town’s services and facilities.

“In addition, there has been little take up of employment on the Hort Bridge site so where are the people going to work? It could quickly become a dormitory town.

“In addition, with the Direction of Growth at Canal Way there is already a planning application for 450 homes. At some stage we would end up with major developments at both ends of the town at the same time, and construction traffic could be using the town’s narrow streets or the surrounding country lanes for well over five years.

“The residents of Ilminster don’t yet realise what is in store if this planning appeal is agreed by the Inspector. The impact will be immense.

“What must be remembered is that we have been through the democratic process with this speculative application.

“After two public inquiries for the Local Plan - which cost the public £2million - Canal Way was agreed as the most sustainable direction for the town to continue to grow. There is little doubt that application will eventually go ahead.

“Do we want our town to grow so much that it starts to lose its identity and character for which it is well known?”

The SSVG has argued that it would be much better for the town to grow gradually as planned in the Local Plan and for the employment land at the Hort Bridge site to be developed to provide jobs and keep the town sustainable.

The group said one of the major issues in the appeal is the spine road which is proposed through the site, coming out at Long Orchard Hill.

“This is being promoted as a gateway into the town, which could be used by the biggest HGVs,” said the spokesman. “Just think what would happen at the tortuous junction at Bay Hill, and the narrow junctions at Shudrick Lane with Ditton Street and Orchard Vale with this added extra traffic, much of which would then have go through Canal Way. The implications are enormous.

“Three of the parishes to the east of the town - Kingstone, Dowlish Wake and Chillingtion - have objected to the plans. There is currently a 7.5tonne weight limit which keeps HGVs away but the likelihood is that the development would leave the way wide open for the biggest HGVs to travel down from the A30, go through Shudrick Lane and on to Canal Way.

“Other issues include the heritage of the site, loss of valuable landscape and flooding and SSVG provided expert witnesses for these.

“We have fought this application for over six years and we believe we have a very strong case.

“It has cost around £50,000 to fight this application through donations and fundraising and we will continue to do so. But it is now down to the Appeal Inspector and his decision will be known in a couple of months.”

The developers, meanwhile, have argued that the housing is needed in Ilminster for the future growth of the town.

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